Wonder Festival (Summer)

Figure collectors, this is the event for you! Known as the world’s biggest festival for figures (also known as “garage kits”), Wonder Festival Tokyo is a biannual event held in Halls 1-8 of Chiba’s Makuhari Messe. Typically, the winter event is held in February, while the summer event is held in July.

At this event, figure manufacturers unveil the latest and upcoming additions to their product lines, to the excitement of collectors. But it’s not just professionals exhibiting their figures at this event—amateurs also showcase their creations, too.

Lest you think it’s just all about figures of scantily clad and/or cute anime girls, there’s actually a wide range of figures on display. Unsurprisingly, most characters are from Japanese media, but there are figures of characters from Western media, too. Most booths allow and encourage photos, so if you’re into toy photography, you might also be interested in this event.

Figures/garage kits aside, the event also features stage events, such as talk shows about upcoming or recently concluded anime. Cosplayers are also welcome to join the event, although an additional fee applies to use the dressing room (and no, you can’t arrive or leave in cosplay).